Happy Sunday!

We were grateful to have Fr. Jonathan Kalisch OP lead our Day of Recollection for men yesterday. Thanks to all who helped out with the event and attended. On October 15 we will have our Day of Recollection for women. Preparations are well under way.

Hello,

It must just happen as we grow older. The world changes and we begin to feel out of place. I remember the first “smart” phone I saw and now just about everything can be done or is done over the phone. I do use the phone for maps; I’ve changed that much.

Hello,

Last night President Biden gave a speech that highlights how divided we are as a nation. I am not taking sides on any of that; I am just remarking how very divided we seem to be. If this were a family, it would be hard to sustain meaningful relationships with this level of division. Is there anything we can do about it? Is there a way to build unity?

Happy Sunday!

I hope and pray everyone has a restful and reinvigorating Labor Day Weekend. This week I will be heading to Denver to attend the Catholic Medical Association’s Annual Education Conference. This is part of my role in the Medical Ethics office here in the diocese. The conference is an opportunity for medical professionals, medical students, and clergy to come together and discuss issues that affect Catholics in healthcare. It also offers many insightful talks to offer Catholic perspectives on new and old problems. Please pray for me for a fruitful conference and safe travels. I will return next weekend in time for the 10:30am Mass.

Happy Sunday!

The first words we hear in our readings this week strike us with a simple directness, “My child, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.” Gifts can run out, but the humble person increases in virtue and draws out charity from others.

Happy Sunday!

I love weeks like this week which are jam packed full of excellent feast days. Tomorrow, the 22nd, the Church celebrates the Queenship of Mary. On Tuesday, the 23rd, we observe the memorial of St. Rose of Lima. Wednesday, the 24th, we celebrate the feast of St. Bartholomew the Apostle. On Thursday, the 25th, we celebrate the memorial of St. Louis. We get a wide mix as we celebrate the Blessed mother, then the first saint of the Americas, followed by one of the 12 Apostles, and finishing with the king, St. Louis.

Happy Sunday!

It’s good to be back after a few weeks away. I arrived back on Monday August 1 from my vacation, in time to attend the installation of our new bishop, Bishop John Dolan. It’s always good to be around so many priests for such a special event and to welcome Bishop Dolan. The Church teaches us that the bishops of the Church are Successors of the Apostles. That is, they play a special role in teaching, ruling, and sanctifying the Christian people in the same manner as the apostles.

Hello,

The other day at daily Mass I mentioned how these days when I look at scripture I am more and more reminded of my own memories. We had the gospel about the sorting of fish (Matt. 13:47-53) and all I could think of was fishing with my cousins years ago when I was a boy. I think it just goes to show how important our memories are to us.

Hello,

When it comes to Christian morality, particularly in regard to the Church’s teachings on sexuality, people sometimes want to separate Jesus and Saint Paul. Paul is more explicit and complete on such questions, and so when people are uncomfortable with this, they want to ignore Paul and focus on Jesus, who says less and is perhaps a little less clear. This move is appealing because it puts the priority on Jesus and holds him up as our ultimate authority. The trouble is that it just doesn’t work. We can’t separate Jesus from Saint Paul.

Hello,

I had my vacation and now it is Fr. Connealy’s turn, so he is away for a bit. As always seems to be the case, my vacation was great but it is nice to be back. We mostly stayed close to home but I did travel back East briefly. This was for my father’s funeral, which went as well as it could. One point that I will always remember was at the committal.

Happy Sunday!

Thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes! I’m grateful to God for another year of life and to be here at St. Joan of Arc with all of you. The gift of the priesthood is another gift from God for which I am incredibly grateful. The Sacraments are the life of our parish and it is a great joy to be a minister of the Holy Eucharist. All of the Sacraments give us the grace to encounter the Risen Lord and experience the Divine Life here and now. I pray that this week each of us is able to spend time to reflect more intently on the Sacred Mysteries and God’s loving action in our lives.

Happy Sunday and Happy 4th of July Weekend!

This week we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We recall those famous words of the Declaration, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These truths acknowledged by the founders of our country remind us that these rights are “unalienable”, that is, they are not able to be alienated from the person.